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RTD Biodiesel (B20) Transit Bus Evaluation: Interim Review Summary
8/1/2005
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been working with the Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver, Blue Sun Biodiesel, and Power Service Products to evaluate the in-use performance of buses operating on B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% conventional diesel fuel). Nine mechanically identical 40-foot transit buses (five operated on B20, four on conventional diesel) are being compared over the same duty cycle, the 'Skip' route in Boulder, Colorado. In addition, laboratory tests compared the buses for fuel economy and emissions. This report summarizes the interim results for the period August 2004 through February 2005.
Authors: Proc, K.; Barnitt, R.; McCormick, R.L.
Biomethane from Dairy Waste: A Sourcebook for the Production and Use of Renewable Natural Gas in California
7/1/2005
This report examines the feasibility of producing biomethane from dairy manure. We investigated a number of possible technologies for producing renewable forms of energy and fuel from dairy wastes as well as applications and markets for these products. Although some of the applications proved to be technically or economically infeasible at this time, we believe that the information gathered could prove useful for other investigators or future studies. With this in mind, we designed this sourcebook for readers and investigators interested in exploring alternate uses of biogas created from dairy wastes.
Authors: Krich, K.; Augenstein, D.; Batmale, J.P.; Benemann, J.; Rutledge, B.; Salour, D.; Wright, J., Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, California State University, Fresno, CA
Quantifying Cradle-to-Farm Gate Life Cycle Impacts Associated with Fertilizer used for Corn, Soybean, and Stover Production
5/30/2005
Fertilizers used to increase the yield of crops used for food or bio-based products can migrate through the environment and potentially cause adverse environmental impacts. Nitrogen fertilizers have a complex biogeochemical cycle. Through their transformations and partitioning among environmental compartments, they can contribute to eutrophication of surface waters at local and regional scales, groundwater degradation, acid rain, and climate change. Phosphate fertilizers have a simpler fate in the environment, although leaching of soluble and bound phosphorus is an important contributor to eutrophication.
Authors: Powers, Susan E.
Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Advanced Fuel/Vehicle Systems - A North American Study of Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Criteria Pollutant Emissions
5/30/2005
An accurate assessment of future fuel/propulsion system options requires a complete vehicle fuel-cycle analysis, commonly called a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis. In this WTW study, we analyzed energy use and emissions associated with fuel production (or well-to-tank [WTT]) activities and energy use andemissions associated with vehicle operation (or tank-to-wheels [TTW])activities. Energy resources, such as petroleum, natural gas (NG), coal, and biomass, as well as the energy carrier, electricity, are considered as feedstocks to produce various transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel fuel, hydrogen (H2), ethanol (EtOH), compressed natural gas (CNG), methanol (MeOH), and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel. The propulsion systems evaluated were spark-ignition (SI) engines, compression-ignition (CI) engines, hydrogen fuel cells, and fuel processor fuel cells, all in non-hybrid and hybrid electric configurations.This study updates and supplements a previous (2001) North American study, conducted by GM and others (General Motors [GM] et al. 2001), of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with advanced vehicle/fuel systems (GM Phase 1 North American study). The primary purposeof this Phase 2 study is to address criteria pollutant emissions, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 microns (PM10), and sulfur oxide emissions (SOx). We also updated the vehicle modeling for energyconsumption with the latest powertrain maps and added some additional propulsion systems, such as hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICEs).As in the previous study, the vehicle modeled was a 2010-model-year, full-sized GM pickup truck. The truck was selected because it is a high seller among light-duty vehicles (cars and trucks) in the U.S. market, and light-duty trucks account for a large proportion of the fuel used in the U.S. vehicle fleet. In our study, we attempted
Authors: Brinkman, Norman; Wang, Michael; Weber, Trudy; Darlington, Thomas
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - March 28, 2005
3/28/2005
This is the fourteenth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between March 8 and March 22, 2005, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in November, 2004. The changes in prices from one reporting period to the next can be attributed not only to price volatility, but also to an inconsistent set of respondents. Thus, differences from one report to the next should not be assumed to reflect trends.
Authors: Lott, M.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - November 26, 2004
11/26/2004
This is the thirteenth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between November 8 and November 19, 2004, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in June, 2004.
Authors: Lott, M.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - June 29, 2004
6/29/2004
This is the twelfth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the price of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between June 14 and June 25, 2004, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in March, 2004.
Authors: Lott, M.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - March 23, 2004
3/23/2004
This is the eleventh issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the price of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between March 3 and March 17, 2004, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in December, 2003.
Authors: Lott, M.
Fuel and Fuel Additive Registration Testing for Ethanol-Diesel Blend for O2Diesel, Inc.
2/1/2004
Testing was performed on a heavy-duty diesel engine in support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements for registration of designated fuels and fuel additives as stipulated by sections 211(b) and 211(e) of the Clean Air Act. Emission generation, collection, and analysis of the regulated emissions and speciation of vapor-phase and semi-volatile hydrocarbon compounds were performed on a Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine manufactured in 2002 and meeting the 1998 federal heavy-duty emission standards that applied in 2002.
Authors: Fanick, E.R.; O2Diesel, Inc.
State-Level Workshops on Ethanol for Transportation
1/31/2004
In 2002/2003, under contract to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, BBIInternational conducted state-level workshops ethanol in Hawaii, Nevada, Kentucky and California. These four workshops followed over 30 other workshops previous held under the Ethanol Workshop Series program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Two other workshops were conducted by BBI International during 2003, Oklahoma and Kansas, under contract to the Western Regional Biomass Energy Program.The Ethanol Workshop Series (EWS) was intended to provide a forum for interest groups to gather and discuss what needs to be accomplished to facilitate ethanol production in-state using local biomass resources. In addition, the EWS was to provide a promotional and educational forum for policy makers, community leaders, media and potential stakeholders. It was recognized that to eventually achieve biomass-ethanol production, it was necessary to supportgrain-ethanol production as a bridge.The long-term goal of the Workshops was to facilitate the development of biomass ethanol plants at a state-level. The near-term goal was to provide correct and positive information for education, promotion, production and use of fuel ethanol. The EWS drew from 65 to over 200 attendees and were deemed by the local organizers to have served the objectives set out by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Authors: Graf, Angela
Business Management for Biodiesel Producers
1/31/2004
The material contained in this book is intended to provide the reader with information about biodiesel in four basic areas: (1) Biodiesel and the liquid fuels industry, (2) Biodiesel business start-up issues, (3) Legal and regulatory issues, and (4) Operational concerns. Information about production of biodiesel and maintaining quality control are covered in separate publicatons.
Authors: Gerpen, Jon Van
Biomass Power and Conventional Fossil Systems with and without CO2 Sequestration--Comparing the Energy Balance, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economics
1/31/2004
Power generation emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), mainly carbon dioxide (CO2). Sequestering CO2 from the power plant flue gas can significantly reduce the GHGs from the power plant itself, but this is not the total picture. CO2 capture and sequestration consumes additional energy, thus lowering the plant's fuel-to-electricity efficiency. To compensate for this, more fossil fuel must be procured and consumed to make up for lost capacity. Taking this into consideration, the global warming potential (GWP), which is a combination of CO2, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and energy balance of the system need to be examined using a life cycle approach. This takes into account the upstream processes which remain constant after CO2 sequestration as well as the steps required for additional power generation.
Authors: Spath, Pam; Mann, Margaret
State-Level Workshops on Ethanol for Transportation - Final Report
1/30/2004
In 2002/2003, under contract to NREL, BBI International conducted state-level ethanol workshops in Hawaii, Nevada, Kentucky, and California. These four workshops followed over 30 other workshops previously held under the Ethanol Workshop Series program sponsored by DOE. Two other workshops were conducted by BBI during 2003 in OK and KS under contract to the Western Regional Biomass Energy Program.
Authors: Graf, Angela
Production of Butyric Acid and Butanol from Biomass
1/1/2004
Butanol was used to replace gasoline gallon for gallon in a 10,000 mile trip across the U.S. without the need to highy modify a 1992 Buick. Butanol can now be made for less than ethanol and yields more BTUs from the same corn, making the plow-to-tire equation positive. Butanol when substituted for gasoline gives better gas mileage and does not pollute the atmosphere.
Authors: Ramey, D.; Yang, S-T
